


Plenty of Fish in the Sea, but Only One for Me

by GabzJones



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Happy Ending, Human Yuuri, Humor, M/M, MerMay, Mermaid victor, Mermaids, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-05 23:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18838654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabzJones/pseuds/GabzJones
Summary: Yuuri had just expected to have a quiet evening at the pier, dipping his legs in the water and watching the stars. Victor had just wanted to explore the oceans he hadn't yet ventured through when he caught sight of those legs, something he'd never seen before. It started as curiosity, a desire to know more despite the stories telling him that humans were dangerous creatures.The first human Victor ever met had enchanted him immediately. The first mermaid Yuuri ever met had just as strong an effect.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm laaaaate! I wanted this up a while ago but everything kinda went wrong but it's here! Not sure how many parts there are gonna be but I decided to jump on the mermay bandwagon. Hope you enjoy!

_ All merfolk are to swim the oceans far from humankind, _

_ though simple they may seem, it’s our death they have in mind. _

 

It was a story that all merfolk were told as kids. The story of the scary humans and their desire to hunt down all merfolk, to ensure they would one day be no more. It had been so long since anyone had actually seen a human, it was hard to know what description was the truth. In fact, there were some among them who believed them to be nothing but a myth. Creatures that supposedly looked like them and lived on land? That simply didn’t make any sense. Merfolk who leave the sea will perish if they attempt to return. With that in mind, it didn’t make any sense to make such a choice. Besides, the call of the ocean was strong for all of their kind. It seemed unfathomable for creatures like that to exist.

Though the number of merfolk who were skeptical of the existence of humans continued to grow every day, they all stuck to the teachings just in case. The location of their home must remain a mystery, and they were to be sure not to stray too close to land, lest a human catch sight of them. 

It wasn’t that Victor went in search for humans. He simply liked to explore the seas that no one else had. Of course, he knew there were certain rules, and sometimes he found himself bending them for the sake of adventure. In all his years, he’d never seen what had been described to him as a human. He’d seen some beautiful islands, had made friends with fish from all different regions, but he’d never seen a human. With that in mind, Victor had never been afraid to explore. It was fun, interesting, far more exciting than staying within the waters he was told to. Certain rules were outdated. Surely, that was one of them.

He wasn’t a fool, either. Victor knew that the safest time to explore was night. The stories said that humans slept at night, that even if by some twist of fate he stumbled on a home for humans, they would be asleep and wouldn’t spot him before he made his escape. The night was the best time to travel, and Victor wasn’t about to protest that particular snippet of information. Often, he would swim nearer to shore, settling himself by the rocks and watching the stars. Living so deep under the water meant merfolk didn’t get to appreciate the stars as much as they should. Victor wished he could take some back with him to share with the others. 

It was supposed to be a night like any other, a chance to explore a new area of the ocean and discover something exciting. Some new shells, maybe a species of crustacean he’d never met before. Instead, he noticed a creature sitting atop a pier at the nearby shore. A creature that looked so much like merfolk, but where Victor had a fin, this thing… didn’t. 

A human. A real, tangible human. They existed. The danger was obvious. Now Victor knew that the tales were true, he should’ve turned tail and swam home. He should’ve told himself to never ever return to this place. Instead, Victor swam down beneath the surface of the water, moving closer to inspect this new creature. It hadn’t yet caught sight of him, and Victor was sure he could keep it that way so long as he stayed beneath the water. It was dark. Surely he would be safe.

The strange things that stuck out from the human where its tail should’ve been were unlike anything he’d seen before. Like arms, but far more muscular, and those things at the ends definitely weren’t hands. They waved back and forth in the water, tempting Victor closer. As if under a spell, Victor reached out and ran a finger along the bottom of the appendage.

As quickly as the strange thing moved away, Victor rushed under the pier, making certain he was out of sight. He couldn’t be seen. As long as the human didn’t know what he was, Victor was safe. He had to be, right? Humans wanted to hunt down merfolk, but that didn’t mean they wanted to hunt all sea life, did it? His logical train of thought was quickly derailed as he heard a soft sound like wind chimes above him. Giggling. The human was giggling. Had he tickled it with his touch?

He had to resist the urge to brush his palm along the strange limb, to feel out the muscles beneath. That would be too much, that would surely give him away. As it was, perhaps the human simply thought some seaweed had brushed against it. Victor could brush a finger against it again, though. Maybe it would bring out that sound again. It was a nice sound. 

Where fingers were on hands, these things had something similar, but they were much smaller, stubbier. They were cute as they wriggled in the water. Victor shifted himself closer, long strands of silver hair dancing in the slight current. Victor had been moving closely around it, trying to figure out what it was and causing his hair to wind around the limb in the process. Curiosity was getting the better of him and he was quickly forgetting the danger of the situation he’d found himself in, frowning as he reached out and brushed a finger along the little fingers that weren’t fingers on this strange thing. What were they? He wished he could ask, but knew that would only end in disaster.

Victor’s touch caused a similar reaction to the last time, only this time his hair was tangled around the limb. As the limb quickly jolted away from his touch, Victor’s hair tightened around it and he was tugged forward. The appendage was pulled up, out of the water and onto the pier, pulling Victor with it. Was this what humans did? Was this how they hunted merfolk? Victor had fallen for the bait, had been completely consumed by curiosity, he hadn’t expected it to be a trap. He had been so sure he was in control, that the human hadn’t noticed him there. Maybe he was wrong.

He would’ve believed that if the human didn’t look so surprised, staring down at him. Thankfully, Victor’s entire body hadn’t been tugged out of the water, only his font half. He wasn’t sure how long out of the water it would take for him to never be allowed to return and he wasn’t ready to test it. 

The hair that hadn’t been tangled around the human’s strange replacement for a tail fell into Victor’s face as he looked up, staring into the topaz and gold of the human’s eyes. Its hair was much shorter than Victor’s, dark ebony in colour with short strands falling into its face. The pretty topaz eyes were framed by something Victor didn’t recognise. Circles of glass? Strange.

“Hello…?” Oh. Humans could talk. Of course they could talk, why wouldn’t they? “I’m gonna untangle my leg, okay?”

Victor’s heart raced in his chest, eyes trained on the human in front of him. They spoke differently to merfolk. It was simpler. Victor wasn’t sure if he liked it. It did have a soothing voice, though. Victor didn’t move, he dare not speak, afraid he’d offend the human in some way and shorten his life even further.

The human held up its hands in surrender before it began carefully untangling Victor’s hair from the leg. Once they were unbound from each other, the human leaned forward, reaching out a hesitant hand and brushing the wet hair behind Victor’s ear fins. The touch caught him off guard, the fins twitching involuntarily. Humans were soft. Or at least, this one was. Victor couldn’t let it fool him, though. This human was about to lure him in, to confirm his capture before it took his life.

The human smiled, tilting its head to the side as it took in the sight of Victor, “What’s your name? You… have a name, right?”

Was it like demons? If he gave the human his name, would that be like giving over his soul? Maybe he was reading into it too much. Maybe this wasn’t actually a human at all. Maybe the stories had been told so many times that what a human looked like had been confused with whatever this creature was. But that didn’t make sense, either. This was too much to be a coincidence. Victor stared back at it, unable to tear his eyes away from the human’s. He had to do something. He had to get out. Before he could get too lost in his curiosity, Victor pushed himself off the pier, diving into the water and making his escape. 

He could hear the human calling out to him even as he rushed to safety.

* * *

 

“You’re crazy.”

“I know what I saw.” Yuuri was laid back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as his roommate tinkered in the kitchen. Ever since Yuuri had explained his encounter at the pier, Phichit had insisted he needed some coffee to sober up from whatever it was he’d taken.

Yuuri knew it was real. There was no way he could’ve made something like that up, something so beautiful, so ethereal. It was a mermaid. A mermaid had tickled his feet and gotten itself tangled up in his leg. Yuuri hadn’t been able to get it out of his mind since. His hair was so silver, like strands of mercury wrapped around Yuuri’s skin, and those eyes… they were so blue. Bluer than the ocean itself. Yuuri could see the fear in them as they stared back at him. The mermaid was afraid. Yuuri had thought maybe the mermaid was in some kind of danger, had wanted to ask it if it needed some help, but it ran away before he had the chance.

Yuuri wanted to see it again, to know that it was safe.

“I know what you think you saw, but mermaids don’t exist. Even if they did, didn’t people say they were like, bloodthirsty killers?”

“Not this one.” Yuuri lifted his legs onto Phichit’s lap as he sat on the couch beside him, “He was scared. I tried to talk to him, but he swam away.”

“Maybe that’s for the best. Don’t want people in town to start calling you that crazy mermaid guy.”

“I have to see him again.” 

Phichit nearly choked on his coffee. “Wait, what? Yuuri, no.”

“I just need to know he’s okay. He looked so scared, what if he was in some kind of danger? What if he’s out there right now all beat up with no one to take care of him?” 

“What if he’s just like the stories say and this is just a mermaid’s way of luring its dinner?” Phichit retorted.

Yuuri had thought of that. Mermaids were like sirens, weren’t they? They were the creatures that lured sailors to their deaths. Yuuri had certainly been enchanted by the creature, for what small moment he had with it. But, if it were a trap, that thing could’ve killed him right there on the pier. There was no one else around. No witnesses. In fact, it would’ve made more sense to kill him then and there, to stop Yuuri from having the chance to tell anyone what he’d seen. If that mermaid was dangerous, Yuuri would’ve already been dead… wouldn’t he?

“It’s a risk I have to take.” Yuuri got to his feet, wandering around the apartment and snatching up anything that looked important, anything he’d miss if he were gone for too long. 

“Yuuri, hang on.” Phichit followed Yuuri around the apartment, trying to stop him only for Yuuri to dance around him and continue his quest. He snatched up a bag, stuffing in everything he’d picked up, “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna go find him.”

“Okay, wait.” Phichit rested his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, finally managing to keep him still long enough to maybe talk some sense into him, “How are you going to do that? The ocean is huge, Yuuri. How are you gonna know where to find him?”

Yuuri paused in thought, contemplating the question, “I… I saw his tail heading to the northeast when he swam away.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got to go on?” Phichit’s eyebrow rose, casting Yuuri a skeptical gaze.

He knew it was a dumb idea. Maybe the dumbest idea he’d ever had, but Yuuri couldn’t shake the need to see that mermaid again, to hear its voice, to know that it was safe and happy. The look of fear in its eyes had left an uneasy feeling in Yuuri. It wasn’t going to go away until he knew once and for all that the creature was alright. 

“It’s a start.” Yuuri was ready to turn away, to pluck his bag up and head out the door, but Phichit stopped him.

“Fine, take me with you.”

“What?” Yuuri frowned, “I can’t.”

“Why not? If it’s fine for you to go, why can’t I come with you and make sure you don’t die out there? You’re no sailor, Yuuri.” Phichit pointed out, and Yuuri knew it was true.

He enjoyed watching the water, but he had never been one for sailing. Yuuri much preferred to keep himself on stable land. It was easier to keep his balance there. But, no matter how frightening the thought of being on the sea alone was, Yuuri knew that was the only way he could do this. 

Pulling Phichit into a tight hug, Yuuri rested his head against his shoulder. “He was scared when it was just me. More people will only make it worse. Please understand. It’s gonna eat at me if I don’t do this.”

A silence fell between them, and Yuuri was preparing for the lecture. Phichit was going to tell him all the reasons this was a terrible idea. He knew them all. There were a million reasons and ways this could end in disaster. He’d been through it all in his mind so many times, but Yuuri couldn’t possibly believe that anyone would let something like this slip through their fingers. 

“I’m more worried about the mermaid eating at you.” Phichit’s arms wrapped around Yuuri and he let out a defeated sigh. “Just promise you’ll come back.”

Yuuri couldn’t hide his smile even if he wanted to. “I promise. If you don’t hear from me in a week, you can send out the search party.”

* * *

 

He should’ve listened to Phichit. Yuuri knew he should’ve. He was out of his element and he didn’t know what he was doing. Phichit was right. This was a bad idea. Yuuri had hired the first boat he saw at the harbour, a small dinghy fitted with a motor. It would do the trick and it was certainly better than having to row all the way out into the middle of nowhere. Yuuri didn’t know how far he’d have to travel. Having to row all the way seemed like the kind of work out he wasn’t ready for. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been traveling. It had started in the late morning, and the sun had already set. Yuuri hadn’t seen anything resembling the mermaid he’d been tangled up in. The feeling of defeat was beginning to set in. Maybe it didn’t really happen. Maybe it was just some crazy, incredibly vivid dream. It was possible. Yuuri just didn’t want to believe it.

Yuuri didn’t want to head back despite nightfall. He’d sleep in the boat and continue on when morning came. He’d come so far, it seemed pointless to go home now. Besides, he saw that mermaid at night. Maybe they were nocturnal creatures. It wasn’t like sunlight mattered that much if they lived deep beneath the sea. Yuuri had brought blankets in case it got cold. He could just wrap himself up and rest his eyes for a little while. Maybe he’d have more luck on his search when he was better rested.

That’s what he’d thought.

Yuuri felt like he hadn’t closed his eyes for more than a moment, but the moon had made quite the journey across the sky when he next opened them. It was still night, but he’d managed to sleep for at least a few hours. Yuuri stared up at the stars, blinking slowly as he tried to wake himself up. The involuntary yawn that left his lips came with a soft sound, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. 

The water splashed to his left. 

Yuuri froze for a moment. He was in the middle of nowhere. It could be anything. Did these waters have sharks? He didn’t know. Yuuri wasn’t even entirely sure where he was anymore. Hesitantly, he turned his head to see what had caused the sudden movement and was met with a sight he hadn’t expected.

The creature was only visible from the nose up, the rest of its body below the surface of the water. Pale creamy skin, wet silver hair falling into his face. The fuchsia fins of his ears faded out into white at the tips. Those eyes. They were so blue and so wide as they stared up at Yuuri, watching him closely in a mix of curiosity and fear. Yuuri might’ve been elated to find his mermaid so quickly if he hadn’t been so startled, jolting backward. 

Yuuri was barely awake, his reflexes not quite awake enough to keep himself balanced and a moment later, he found himself falling back into the water. The cold was a shock to his system and Yuuri was more sinking than swimming. That is, until he felt those strong, warm arms wrap around him, looking up to see the mermaid pulling him towards the surface once more. From that angle, he had a better look at the mermaid, could see that his tail had similar colouring to his ear fins. The scales seemed to sparkle. Some of those same scales seemed to be embedded into the rest of his skin; along his arms, his neck and his temples. He was stunning. 

As they reached the surface, Yuuri coughed and spluttered, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. Air. The air was good. More of that, please. After a moment, it dawned on him. The mermaid was still holding him, watching him curiously.

Yuuri looked up at him, fighting the urge to brush the hair from his face the same way he had the night before, “I’m so glad I found you.” The statement alone seemed to remind the mermaid of exactly what was going on and he quickly moved to run away, but Yuuri was ready this time. He wasn’t going to let this slip through his fingers again. Yuuri caught the mermaid’s wrist in his hand, stopping him, “Please don’t run again.”

“Let me go! Please don’t hurt me!” The mermaid tugged at Yuuri’s hold desperately, “I won’t come back, just let me be!”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow. So, he did talk.Yuuri brushed a thumb gently along the scales at the mermaid’s wrist, gently pulling him closer, “I don’t want to hurt you. I just… wanted to see you again. Are you okay? Why’re you so scared?”

The mermaid looked at Yuuri with uncertainty in his eyes, “All humans want to kill merfolk, so we stay away and don’t provoke.”

Oh. That rhyme wasn’t a coincidence. Mermaids really spoke like that. Interesting. Yuuri hadn’t expected that. This mermaid was afraid of him, though. Afraid of all humans. Yuuri thought it was meant to be the other way around, that mermaids were meant to hunt humans. That’s what the legends always said. He hesitantly let go of the mermaid’s wrist, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I promise I won’t hurt you. Will you tell me your name?” The mermaid held up his arm, inspecting his wrist carefully but said nothing. Yuuri sighed, “My name’s Yuuri.”

“…Since you told me yours, I should do the same.” The mermaid’s smile was shy but sweet and Yuuri’s heart raced at the sight of it, completely enchanted, “If you must know… Victor’s my name.”

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Yuuri had been afraid to let the mermaid leave when they finally got to speak, afraid that if he did, it would be the last he would see of Victor. He had been lucky to find Victor a second time. Yuuri was sure it wouldn’t happen again unless they both wanted it. Victor had promised, though. He’d assured that he would return, that they would see each other again. And they did.

At first, Victor seemed scared, cautious as he answered Yuuri’s questions about life in the sea. There were times when he seemed uncertain. Yuuri had to assure him that he didn’t need details, that he wasn’t trying to learn where it was Victor lived, just what it was like to spend a lifetime in the water. There seemed to be rules for mermaids to follow, ones that meant keeping details hidden from Yuuri. But eventually, Victor’s walls began to crumble.

There came a point where Yuuri didn’t have to ask, Victor would simply provide him with details. He seemed excited to tell Yuuri about what he’d gotten up to that day, or to describe another part of his home. And Yuuri would never stop him. He didn’t care what it was Victor was talking about. Listening to Victor speak was wonderful no matter what he said. At first, he thought the rhyming would grow tiresome, but the more he heard it, the more it felt like Victor was serenading him whenever those rhymes left his lips.

Victor had a strong hold on Yuuri’s heart and he couldn’t tell if it was mermaid magic, or simply a desire to be closer.

Eventually, their meetings were held in a cavern far from the Yuuri’s town. The water was shallow within, making it easier for them to get closer to each other. Victor had said it was far from his home, too. Their own world. It seemed like Victor wasn’t supposed to be there. Sometimes he would mention how afraid of humans the others were. Yuuri hated that he understood. Humans often hurt things they didn’t understand. The stories said that mermaids lure sailors to their deaths. With that in mind, no doubt they would attack before Victor could ever get a chance to show them how kind he really was. 

One day, he’d asked Victor if he would ever come on land. There were stories of mermaids stepping on land and growing legs of their own. Victor had explained how definitive that would be, that the moment Victor left the sea, he would never be able to return. And suddenly, Yuuri was determined to ensure Victor stayed in the water. Their meetings were important to him, but Victor’s life was far more precious. They could still meet. They just had to meet somewhere with water. 

Yuuri had settled himself in the shallow water, seating himself behind Victor with his legs on either side of his long tail fin. Closer up, he could admire how beautiful Victor’s scales really were. They shimmered in the moonlight, starting a deep reddish pink that slowly got lighter and lighter as it spread along his tail, fading into white as it reached his fins. The scales that peppered along his skin were a lighter shade of the pink, dark enough to stand out against his skin but still seeming as though they completely belonged there. So stunning. Yuuri could’ve sat and admired him for hours. He did. Whenever they met and Victor would tell him stories, Yuuri would watch him in awe, taking in every second, afraid he’d lose it if he took it for granted.

“You always pamper me. You’re too good to be true. But sometimes, I wish I could do the same for you.” 

Yuuri smiled to himself, his fingers moving slowly through Victor’s hair as he worked on the braids. Victor had said similar before, but Yuuri loved doing this. He loved being able to just touch Victor and know he was right there. He was real. He wasn’t just something wonderful Yuuri had dreamed up.

“And what would you do?” Yuuri asked curiously.

Victor brushed a finger gently along Yuuri’s leg, soon letting the rest of his hand join it as it traveled down Yuuri’s thigh to his knee, running over the top of his shin, “Where I come from, it’s common after a long, hard day… to rub the aching muscles and take the pain away.”

Yuuri’s fingers went still in Victor’s hair, a blush staining his cheeks. He was suddenly glad he had himself seated behind Victor where it couldn’t be seen. Biting his lip, he carefully threaded a smaller braid through the larger one he was making, trying to find the right words, “Are you… offering to massage my legs?”

Victor didn’t say anything. Sometimes, he didn’t. Instead, he would let his actions do the talking. In the short time they’d spent together, Yuuri was learning to tell when Victor would talk and when he wouldn’t. Yuuri quickly finished pulling the smaller braids through the large one he’d made in Victor’s hair, completing an intricate pattern of weaving. Once he let the silver locks leave his fingers, Victor leaned forward, letting himself properly focus on Yuuri’s legs. 

It was funny, Victor had been in complete awe of Yuuri’s legs from the moment he’d seen them. Yuuri didn’t really understand it, but he did also find himself admiring Victor’s fin, admiring his scales. He supposed it was the same thing, really. Something he had never seen before but wanted to know more about. Maybe it was the same for Victor. 

Victor’s touch was feather light, the tips of his fingers moving along Yuuri’s leg, over his shin and back up again. It really didn’t feel like a massage. Victor wasn’t applying any pressure. In fact, the touch was so gentle, Yuuri shivered, biting his lip as he held back a giggle, “You really like my legs, huh?”

“Your legs are neat, but I prefer your feet,” Victor admitted, carefully pulling Yuuri’s leg closer.

Yuuri bent his knee to rest his foot in Victor’s lap, or at least whatever it was mermaids had that resembled a lap. The water was still soaking into his skin, but it was like it wasn’t even there when they were together. Yuuri didn’t notice how soaked he got until Victor was gone. He scrunched up his toes before stretching them out, knowing full well how entranced Victor got when he did just that. 

Victor’s breath caught, reaching out and running a finger along the sole of Yuuri’s foot. That was all it took, Yuuri’s foot moving away before he could stop it, laughter spilling from his lips, “Tickles!”

Victor’s laughter joined his own as he turned in Yuuri’s lap to face him, fingers moving beneath the fabric of Yuuri’s shirt to tickle along his stomach instead. Yuuri was at the mercy of this wonderful mermaid, laughter escaping him, tears in his eyes as he leaned back on his elbows in the shallow water, a vain attempt to escape the onslaught. His mermaid had him pinned down, completely at his mercy, but that was exactly how Yuuri always wanted it to be. To be in Victor’s arms for the rest of time. That sounded like a nice life. 

“Stop! This isn’t pampering me!” Yuuri got out between his laughter.

Victor’s hands smoothed over Yuuri’s skin, nudging their heads together for a moment. Yuuri looked up, staring back into those deep blue eyes. So blue. Bluer than a summer sky, bluer than the ocean. He’d happily let himself get lost in the sea of Victor’s gaze. 

“I suppose you’re right, but what else can I do? Tell me Yuuri, what is it you’d like me to give you?”

It felt so quiet all of a sudden. Yuuri knew Victor was waiting for an answer, but he was right there and Yuuri couldn’t think straight. Victor so close was messing with his senses, leaving Yuuri with the same answer.

_ You. I want you. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. Just give me you and the world will make sense. _

Yuuri pulled himself up to sit up again with Victor in his lap. His pretty mermaid stayed exactly where he was, making no attempt to move away as he watched Yuuri closely, waiting for an answer. Yuuri wanted so many things, but he knew he couldn’t have any of them. Was it alright to indulge? Just for a little while? Victor could refuse. There was nothing to say Victor had to accept whatever Yuuri requested.

He reached out, taking a stray strand of Victor’s hair and brushing it back behind his ear fin, smiling to himself as he watched the shy blush dust over Victor’s nose. He closed the gap between them, resting their heads together as the pad of his thumb brushed delicately over Victor’s cheek, voice hesitant in the quiet of their cavern, “Can I… can I kiss you?”

Did mermaids even know what kisses were? Was there really any point to request something so silly? Maybe he’d only confuse Victor. Maybe he was being too forward. Victor didn’t have to say yes. Victor didn’t have to return Yuuri’s affections. He simply couldn’t ignore the way his heart raced when they were together, how easy things felt between them. Yuuri had fallen hard. He was willing to make one selfish request, a request that would tell him if Victor felt the same.

Victor’s hand moved up to Yuuri’s chest, resting over his heart and Yuuri knew he had to be able to feel it pounding. He was uncertain, afraid he was about to scare his wonderful mermaid away, but a part of him wanted to hope all the same.

Victor’s voice was gentle, breath ghosting against Yuuri’s skin, “You mean, you feel this as well? It’s like human magic. I’m under your spell…”

Yuuri’s breath caught, looking up at Victor, taking in the shy blush on his cheeks, the sincerity in his eyes. There was still so much he didn’t know. Is that what mermaids thought of humans? That they could conjure up some kind of magic to lure them in? Yuuri was sure it was the other way around, so completely consumed by whatever spell Victor had him under. 

“I guess we enchanted each other, huh?” Yuuri wound his arms around Victor’s neck.

He’d been thinking about that moment for so long, had dared to imagine it even when he was sure it would never happen. Yuuri let out a content hum as their lips met, the gentle caress of Victor’s hand against his cheek sending his heart soaring. It would’ve made sense for Victor to be cold. He came from the sea, lived in the cold water, but he was so warm, lips so soft and inviting, and Yuuri quickly lost himself in the moment. 

Victor gently nipped his lip as he pulled away, the pad of his thumb brushing along Yuuri’s cheek, “I want every day to be like this. Just you and me in utter bliss.”

It was a sentiment Yuuri could get behind, the thought of spending every day at Victor’s side. When they were apart, Yuuri was wondering what Victor was doing, if he was happy, thinking about when they would get to see each other again. 

“Pamper me some more,” Yuuri requested. Victor’s giggles soon dissolved to happy sighs as their lips met once more.

* * *

 

“Yuuri.” Phichit walked into the room, gently tapping a finger against Yuuri’s forehead, “What’s up with you?”

“Just thinking,” Yuuri murmured, staring at the ceiling. He was laying in his bed, the same position Phichit has seen him in that morning when he left for work. Yuuri hadn’t moved, going through thought after thought. To say he was troubled would be an understatement. 

“About a certain fishy friend?” Phichit teased, settling himself on the bed beside Yuuri and gently poking his side.

Yuuri smiled. He always did when he thought about Victor. Too good to be true, a legend brought to life. And Yuuri hated that he didn’t know what to do. There were so many things to figure out. Why couldn’t things be simpler?

Phichit sighed, “Tell me about him.”

“What?” Yuuri frowned.

“Tell me about Victor. You’ve kinda kept it to yourself these last few weeks.”

Yuuri smiled shyly, “He has blue eyes. Really blue. Like the ocean is part of him. And he has this long silver hair. Even though he’s always in the ocean, it’s so soft and he lets me play with it while we talk.” He closed his eyes as he thought back to the last time he saw Victor, “His scales shimmer and his laugh is so sweet. He tries so hard, you know? To make me happy. To make his people happy. But sometimes I look in his eyes when he’s about to leave and he looks so… lonely. I don’t want to let him go when he’s like that.”

Phichit smirked, tapping a hand along Yuuri’s arm as he spoke, “So, what’s the problem?”

“When I see him, my heart gets faster and I don’t know what to say. I just want him to be happy. I’d do anything for him to be happy. But, I want him here all the time. I want to be with him, I want to know what he’s up to, if he’s having a good day. I want him to be thinking about me, too.”

Phichit rolled his eyes, “Yeah, that happens when you start falling for someone, you dingus.”

“But that’s the thing!” Yuuri sighed, sitting up and staring at the floor, his fingers picking at the bedsheets as he spoke, “I can’t fall for him.”

“Why not? You meet up all the time, you both obviously want to see each other if you’re going to all this trouble. What’s the problem?” 

“We’re from two different worlds. If he comes on land, he’ll never be able to return to the sea. He’s afraid of humans. He can’t… come here. And I wouldn’t want him to. This isn’t his home. But his people, they’re even more scared of humans than he is. Even if they weren’t, I’d drown if I tried to go with him. All we get are a few hours together.”

Yuuri wanted to be with Victor. Everything made sense when they were together. But things were so far from simple. No matter how many times he went through it in his mind, he couldn’t find a way for it to work, a way for them to be together. He wasn’t willing to let Victor give up the ocean. It meant too much to mermaids and Yuuri hated the idea of Victor giving up what he was to be close to him. Yuuri had fallen for Victor as he was. Yuuri would never forgive himself if Victor changed himself for him. 

But, Yuuri couldn’t go to the bottom of the ocean with Victor. Even if he was geared up for the adventure, eventually he’d run out of air. Victor’s people would shun him, maybe even try to hurt him. That’s what humans did. They hurt what they didn’t understand. Maybe mermaids were the same way. Maybe they’d try to hurt Yuuri for their own safety. Whatever the answer, Yuuri knew he wouldn’t belong. He wouldn’t belong, and he had a life on land that he couldn’t just leave behind, a family. The thoughts all led Yuuri to one horrible, heartbreaking conclusion.

He and Victor simply weren’t meant to be together.

 


End file.
